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Study: Heart attack care alarmingly unequal for women compared to men

A new study recently revealed that heart attack care is alarmingly unequal for women when compared to men. Researchers found that many women who have had the most serious type of heart attack − where the coronary artery is completely blocked − don't receive the same tests and treatment that men receive under similar circumstances.

In the study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, researchers reviewed 180,368 Swedish patients, who had experienced a heart attack between Jan. 1, 2003, and Dec. 31, 2013. During the 10-year span, the results of the study showed that women were three times more likely to die in the year after having a heart attack in comparison to their male counterparts due to lack of treatment.

It was also reported that women who had a total blockage of an artery, a STEMI, ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction, faced a 34 percent lower chance of receiving the recommended treatments, like stents, than men. Additionally, women were 24 percent less likely to be prescribed statins, which lower the chances of another heart attack, and 14 percent less likely to be given aspirin, which can stop blood clots.

“We need to work harder to shift the perception that heart attacks only affect a certain type of person,” said study co-author Chris Gale, of the University of Leeds, United Kingdom, in a statement.

Although the risk of heart disease in women has been publicized recently with the help of the American Heart Association's "Go Red" campaign, many women – and healthcare professionals – still may think that the typical heart disease patient is a middle-aged man. As a result, they may fail to see crucial signs that point to the presence of heart disease in women.

If you're a woman, here's what you need to know about protecting your heart:

•Realize the risk.

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women in the U.S., but women often dismiss symptoms, according to the American Heart Association. They may mistake it for another, less serious illness or stress, and even if they think they may be having a heart attack, some just take an aspirin and never call 911.

Only 13 percent of women in an American Heart Association survey said that heart disease is their greatest personal health risk. Instead, they were more concerned about getting breast cancer, despite the fact that heart disease kills six times more women every year when compared to breast cancer.

The American Heart Association recommends that you make an appointment with your doctor to discuss your individual risk for heart disease. In addition, if you smoke, you should quit, and it also helps to start an exercise program. Even walking for 30 minutes a day can reduce your risk. Eating a healthy diet that's low in saturated fats and processed foods and high in fiber can also improve your heart health.

Risk factors such as increasing high blood pressure during menopause, experiencing depression or high levels of stress or having an autoimmune disease increase a woman's risk of having heart disease, according to John Hopkins Medicine. If these apply to you, you may want to take additional preventative steps.

In some cases, warning signs of a heart attack can occur a month or so before the actual event occurs, according to Harvard Medical School. These include unusual fatigue, sleep disturbances, shortness of breath, indigestion, anxiety, a racing heart and a heavy or weak feeling in your arms.

During a heart attack, women may experience the classic crushing chest pain that men often have, but it can also be accompanied by other symptoms that could make you wonder whether you're really having a heart attack. You may even have an absence of obvious chest pain, John Hopkins Medicine said. Women are more likely than men to have symptoms such as back pain, indigestion and shortness of breath. They may also feel weak or dizzy, break out into a cold sweat or feel unusually tired.

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